Please! A priest mentions a rather noisy child and suddenly we have an angry outpour against parents who don't control their unruly childen during Mass. Our son suffered from ADHD as a small child and while we did our best - and I assure you I am a strict mum - he could be a handful and yet had an absolute love for the Mass itself. To banish him for something he couldn't help would have been wrong. Yes, we sat at the back and yes, when things got too noisy we brought him out to run off some energy, however for the most part we tried to manage him depite all the criticism, black looks and huffing and puffing (which came from certain parishioners - Father himself was a supportive gem). Today, as a mature adult, that same son is still serving Mass and when available, training altar boys. We have to keep in mind that the Mass is for everyone - it's not our own little private tete-a tete. Sometimes we have to be a patient and tolerant when our own comfort zone is breached. Especially as Kids today are vaccinated and filled to the brim with sugar. It is certainly a matter that should be handled delicately. We don't always know the backstory or what pressure parents may be under.

I wouldn't go that far. Most are a distraction. One family sitting behind us (only mom) had three that were literally screaming and shrieking as if the devil pocessed them. They were in the front. We had to ask the priest to send us his homily since we could not hear it. I've seen families with 6-7 children well behaved as well. But for those families with unruly kids please sit in the back and use the crying room.